Family game night is a big hit among a lot of families. It’s their time to bond through games everyone enjoys. I love game night, spending time with my family, and engaging in fun games. Now I have a new addition to the occasional event. Family game night calls for family-friendly games and Awkward Family Photos, from All Things Equal, has definitely struck gold.

I had the opportunity to take Awkward Family Photos home with me and just from the photos on the outside of the box, I knew it would be an interesting game. I mean, how awkward is a baby in a wagon making a funny face? Well, you would be surprised. When I took the contents out of the box and saw it consisted of answer sheets, pencils, and a booklet with 20 questions alongside the deck of cards, I was wondering what this game could possibly be about. It was much more than what I expecting—in a good way! [Read more...]

The Hub Network is holding a “Family Game Night” Sweepstakes, in which fans of the popular family game show will have an opportunity to win a trip to Los Angeles to attend a live taping of the series and, pending eligibility, get a chance to be a contestant with his or her family. The sweepstakes kicks off during the “Family Game Night” Marathon, to be April 7 from 7 p.m. until midnight. “Family Game Night” is produced by Hasbro Studios and Zoo Productions.

During the “Family Game Night” Marathon, The Hub will present a secret code word during each hour of the five-hour marathon. Viewers will be asked to enter the code at hubworld.com/fgn by April 11 at 11:59 p.m., and they can enter each code once for a maximum of five entries. [Read more...]

Game manufacturer FamilyTimeFun shares five good reasons why families should have a dedicated game night:

Decades ago, families often spent more quality time together. There were significantly fewer distracting options than there are today, where we now cope with 300 channels on the television, personal computers, and sophisticated video games. Today, family time often takes a back seat to all the other directions that people are pulled, when it comes to work and entertainment. One way to bring back that quality time is to start a dedicated family game night each week.

“There are many benefits to setting aside a night each week as family game night,” explains John Pandiscio, founder of FamilyTimeFun (www.ftfgames.com), a company that has created several interactive family games. “Besides the impact of making the family unit so important that you set aside dedicated time together each week, family game night helps in many other ways, as well.”

Here are 5 reasons to have a dedicated family game night:

1. Quality Time. The importance of spending quality time together as a family cannot be overstated. It is important for bonding, building relationships, and improving communication.

2. Learning Opportunity. Children can learn many important things from family game night. Along with good sportsmanship and the importance of following directions, they can hone their communication skills, as well as testing and improving their agility and coordination skills.

3. Inexpensive Entertainment. In a day and age when even activities like going out to the movies can be economically out of reach, a family game night is affordable. Games are generally inexpensive, last a long time, and can even be borrowed.

4. Healthy habits. Having a family game night is healthy. It is good brain exercise, can be good physical exercise (depending on the game being played), and keeps kids from simply sitting in front of the television for hours on end, which has been linked to many negative consequences.

5. Fun factor. Family game time can be a time when the family has fun and laughs together, each week. That alone will help to create memories and good times!

New Products

Marvel’s Ant-Man is still going strong in theaters, and so is Disney Consumer Products’ (DCP) and Marvel‘s Ant-Man product collection. The lineup includes costumes, construction sets, action figures, and more from licensees such as Hasbro, LEGO, Funko, Hot Wheels, Rubie’s Costume Co., and Uncle Milton.

Skechers USA Inc. has partnered with Jakks Pacific Inc. to launch a new line of dolls based on Skechers’ popular Twinkle Toes character. The initial launch includes four unique dolls that stand 6.5 inches in height, and are dressed in colorful, fashion-forward outfits and light-up Skechers Twinkle Toes shoes.

LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. will release three new preschool toys—the Number Lovin’ Oven and Scout’s Build & Discover Tool Set, which offer pretend play experiences that teach math and measurement, respectively—and the Word Whammer, a phonics game that prepares children for kindergarten in an active way.

Now available from VTech, Flipsies combine traditional role play with collectible dolls and accessories, as well as VTech’s proprietary MagicPoint interactive technology. The line offers a variety of ways to play and has eight introductory themes that encourage girls to be anything they want to be, whether it’s a doctor, a marine biologist, a teacher, [...]

Merchantwise, ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s appointed licensing agency in Australia, has announced strong toy and DVD sales, as well as a host of new licensing and retail partners, for the TV series Thunderbirds Are Go in Australia.